60 SUGGESTED FORESTRY LEGISLATIO>^ 



(in 1911) ?" indicates pretty clearly what is the danger season in North 

 Carolina. 



TABLE 7. RELATIVE FIRE RISK IN 1911, BY MONTHS AND SEASONS, 

 IN PERCENTAGES. 



March 14 ) June 9 / 



April 27 - Spring 57 July 10 - Summer 26 



May 16 ) August 7 ) 



September 7 ) December 2 J 



October 4 - Fall 14 January 0.5 - Winter 3 



November 3 ) February 0.5 ) 



The largest number of fires attributed to any one cause are laid to 

 sparks from railroad locomotives, twenty-two per cent being attributed 

 to this cause, an increase of two per cent over the year 1910, and of five 

 per cent over the year 1909. This increased proportion is still greater 

 if the logging railroads are included. Forty-four per cent of all the fires 

 in the Coastal Plain region are attributed to locomotives, while in the 

 mountain counties this number is reduced one-half. The great increase 

 of the proportion of railroad fires may be due rather to the reduction of 

 the number of fires from other causes than to the actual increase in the 

 number of fires from this cause. It is evident, however, that the rail- 

 roads are a great menace to the forests of the State, and a determined 

 effort both on the part of the people and on the part of the railroads 

 should be made to remedy this evil. A suggested law for the suppres- 

 sion of forest fires which is reprinted from Economic Paper No. 22 is 

 given herewith, with the hope that the intelligent public will study this 

 matter, and will call the attention of their next representatives in the 

 General Assembly to their need of such laws. The protection of the 

 forests from fire depends first of all upon the people. If they want to 

 stop the frequent and destructive fires, the State Government will help 

 them ; that is what it is for. But they must show in some way that they 

 desire such assistance, and they can do that best by appealing to their 

 representatives. 



